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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · vault · perch · hand · leaves · nail · present · object

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. hand — help
  7. object — a thing
  8. hand — in cards
  9. object — to protest
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ball — a great time
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. object — an aim
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. present — a gift
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. ball — a dance
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. perch — the fish

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com